Comeuppance

Posted on Aug 29, 2014 @ 1:07pm by Captain Siobhan Reardon & Ambassador Xana Bonviva
Edited on on Aug 29, 2014 @ 1:08pm

Mission: Absolute Power

“Comeuppance”
(Continued from “The Ministry of Saint Anthony”)

=/\=

“When has justice ever been as simple as a rulebook?”
-Riker to the Edo god, ST:TNG: “Justice”

=/\=

LOCATION: Starfleet HQ, EARTH
SCENE: Board’s Chambers
STARDATE: [2.14] 0819.2200
Time Index: Immediately after “Under The Bus”

“Thank you Commander. That will be all.” Marie-Claire felt her jaw and fists clench involuntarily as Jacob Crichton left the stand. She did not want this process to become a mockery. "If you will excuse us, the board will now take a short recess," she said, standing quickly, eyeballing both Arto Halle and Richard Edgerton with a look that indicated the break was non-negotiable. Satisfied they understood her intent, she led the way to the antechamber.

The door had not whooshed closed behind them for more than two seconds when Martine went off. "Would either of you be so kind as to tell me, what the *hell* was that?"

"I was merely questioning the Commander on why normal duty protocols were not followed," Edgerton began, feigning innocence, but doing so with the smarmiest tone possible.

"I needed to hear that answer, MC. Plain and simple." Admiral Halle added his own two cents, with a bit more tact than his British counterpart, but nonetheless highly irritating to the French Canadian woman who stood between them in more ways than one.

"Since neither of you seems to get the point here, I will tell you what that was: a pissing contest! It's certainly not the first time I've seen that type of bullshit when men get together, but I expect a little more tact out of you while you're conducting a Board of Inquiry."

"Do you want the truth, Madam Secretary, or do you want tea and crumpets with the senior staff of the USS DISCOVERY?" Edgerton bit back.

MC was not backing down. "This is a civil proceeding, not a court-martial. Your questions were far too leading and improper. And you-" she said as she levelled a gaze at Admiral Halle- "should know better. We *all* need to be impartial here, not just a third of us." She hadn't even bothered to mention her original question was a good one and would have shed plenty of light on the DISCOVERY's demise without all the heavy-handedness provided by her cohorts.

“I am convinced they are not telling the *entire* truth,” Edgerton asserted.

Halle thought of the tense, unofficial meeting with Michael Kane as they drug the CENTURY back for a thorough sweep as part of the investigation. “I agree with Richard on this one, MC.”

Martine’s mouth drew into a grim line. She would never admit it, but she agreed as well. There were a lot of puzzle pieces, and yet there were several missing ones. Then again, that opinion, as popular as it might be, shouldn’t cause a breakdown of procedure. And Edgerton was putting a lot of energy into a simple hunch. It was like he was going for broke with every question. "It wouldn't happen to be because Crichton is married to Xana Bonviva, would it?"

Edgerton adopted a look of concern, when in fact he was secretly relieved. Let the old crone believe it was personal and based on the former Secretary’s record of service. It was far more benign than the actual reason for his interest. “I had forgotten, Madam Secretary. I was too busy trying to find the mistakes that led us to this unfortunate incident.”

Martine used her hands for emphasis. "Don't you understand... comprenez-vous?. It's obvious that *someone* fucked up out there... or else we wouldn't have so many corpses and a destroyed ship. But what matters here is competence and intent."

"Commander Jacob Crichton should have remained at his post. That shows incompetence."

"Does it? Does it really?" she said furiously. "All it says to me is at some point things got out of control, and the decisions subsequently made were lukewarm at best. Made under enormous amounts of stress, I might add. You still haven't shown me that there was intent on the surviving crew to destroy their ship and kill their crewmates."

It was Halle’s turn to be uncomfortable. “Mutinies *have* happened. Perhaps this is a case-”

“A mutiny in which the Captain survives? A mutiny in which the lesser equipped ship is taken and the refit ship is destroyed? Forgive me, but that sounds like the most ill-planned takeover in history.”

Edgerton laughed in spite of himself and their discussion. “It does sound far-fetched, at that, Halle, my good man.”

Martine smiled- almost. It would probably be the last time she agreed with Edgerton. "Exactly. If this was some kind of hostile takeover, why didn't they just desert then, go AWOL, take the ship, and run? Let's face it, Starfleet had no hope of ever recovering the CENTURY. They could have gone rogue and possibly gotten away with it. But instead, they chose to return, knowing that their actions would be scrutinized."

“We must follow due diligence,” Admiral Halle said resolutely.

“That’s no excuse to be a prick about it,” Martine said with a huff, looking at both men. “This inquiry cannot be performed in such a way that the validity of the results is in question. Then we’ll all be in court.”

Edgerton tugged on his uniform tunic. “Then I propose we not keep them waiting any longer and resume hearing the testimony. Shall we?”

=/\=

Scene: Outside of Federation Council -> Federation Council Chamber, San Francisco, EARTH

Alek Nikitin was waiting with Steve Tinsell, Dilbert Davis and some of the other reporters on the steps of the Federation Council. It was a beautiful, if unusually cool day in San Francisco. While the reporters wanted to be covering the proceedings hearings for the CENTURY, they were closed door. However, the Federation Council (except for the rare Security meetings) were all open door which explained why the reporters were waiting to cover an otherwise boring set of hearings.

“I’m just saying the Ferengi are putting a 100 latinum on the Tellar Bluehawks,” Tinsell said as he bounced on his toes.

Niktin sighed as he looked around. Bonviva was due any minute, but he didn’t see any shuttle or hadn’t heard from her team. “The Tellar Bluehawks?”

Dilbert Davis rolled his eyes as Tinsell bobbed his head. “I hear it’s a sure thing,” Tinsell replied.

The communicator in Niktin had in his pocket trilled. Pulling it out he walked to the side. “Da,” he said.

[[You’re in the wrong place,]] came a gruff voice. [[She’s not coming from a shuttle.]]

The communication ended before Alek could ask who was talking but that got him looking around. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, from across the courtyard he saw a crowd gathering. Picking up his recording device he zoomed in; seeing the Bolian/Human woman he was looking for, the Russian reporter began his voice over narration for the viewers across the universe who would be watching this.

“This is Aleksey Nikitin coming to you live from San Francisco on EARTH. As you can see, former Secretary of Starfleet Xana Bonviva is walking across the Federation grounds. She’s addressing civilians and Starfleet alike as she’s walking to the Federation Council where she is scheduled to address the Council.”

Alek paused; he couldn’t quite convey the joy that Xana clearly had in addressing the crowd as she walked with them to the Federation Council; the camera would have to capture her smile and the bounce in her step. She was quitting for her family, no one had dared questioned that; but this interaction with the public -- her last interaction with the public -- was something she’d never get again; it was also something that she thrived on and would lose.

By this time Tinsell and Davis, as well as the other freelance reporters, had joined him a few feet off and were doing their own reports.

“I have never witnessed a member of the Cabinet, or former member for that matter, walking to the Federation Council in all my years of reporting,” Alek finished.

By this point Xana was finishing her walking and talking with the masses and faced the press. “Lovely day isn’t it?” she beamed.

Then she walked into the Federation Council building bypassing the Press’ questions, smiling over her shoulder. “Sorry, can’t answer your questions before I answer the Federation Council’s questions,” she apologized.

Walking down the corridor, Xana bypassed the other rooms in the Federation Council until she found the Main Chamber. Taking a moment, she inhaled and then as the doors swooshed opened she walked in, her black kitten heels making their distinctive “click click” sounds was the only thing in the room.

In deference to the hearing, some poor aide had set up a small table and chair in the middle of room; on either side of the chair/table combo where the rows where the Council members sat. While they were important, Xana knew as she organized her white suit the ones that mattered most were the 3 sitting on the dais on top -- the Federation Council President, Federation Council Pro Tempore, and Federation Council Sergeant At Arms.

After a pro forma round of being sworn in the Federation Council President, a Tellerite man by the name of Brycey, and review of who was there, finally they got down to why this special session was called. “Secretary Xana Bonviva,” Federation Council President Brycey stated, “we have called you here today in relation to the kidnappings of your biological children, Dahlia Alix Bonviva-McInnis and Benito William Bonviva-Crichton, as well as your adopted children, LJ Lawrence, Gavirosh Bonviva, and Erika Wangel-Byrne. Specifically, the question has come up from the office of Secretary P’Trell as to whether you invited the kidnappings of your children by associating with any unsuitable elements.”

Xana held up her hands in a universal “stop” motion. “Federation Council President Brycey, while it’s always been an honor to come before the Council to discuss matters of Security and Starfleet, I will *not* have my parenting questioned, especially when it comes to the Security of my children.”

Looking around the room Xana knew who she had to appeal to. Making hand gestures as if to emphasize her points she stated, “When I entered politics nine years ago, I knew my life would be on display. I have always served the Federation, and I tried to serve its interests above my own. I knew that politics meant that I would be sacrificing any kind of quote unquote normal social life. I accepted that then much I accepted the risks to my physical well being when I was an officer in the Fleet.

“But my children...they never asked for this,” Xana continued as she held up her second finger as if to make her second point. “So it’s unfair to drag them -- *minors* at that -- into these proceedings because of choices their mother made before most of them were born.”

Folding her hands Xana looked up at Federation Council President Brycey.

“The point remains,” he stated.

“Excuse me?” the azure woman asked, unsure if she heard properly. The slight murmurings in the room verified that she was not alone in her confusion. She knew Brycey; the Tellerite had run for President the same time as the current Federation President and had lost. Clearly time had not healed all wounds, that or it was clear why Brycey had lost. Either way, Xana was not going to do well today. “Are you seriously asking if I *invited* the kidnappings of my children?”

“Yes,” he replied.

At one point, Xana would have calculated the odds of pissing off a fellow politician. There was something freeing in having already handed in your resignation. Narrowing in her violet eyes she waved her left arm in strong gesture to punctuate her point, “*Nobody* wants to sit where I am and know that their children were *this* close to dying.” Swallowing the lump in her throat she said, “Everyday billions - no trillions - of parents drop off their children at school or some kind of care center and hope in their hearts that it’s safe. I was one of the most powerful women in the universe and I was no different in that regard. And then I got a message that every parent dreads: Something has happened to your children.”

“There are many things, upon reflection, I would do differently,” Xana said staring down the Federation Council President, “But I am not such a monster of a parent, so cold hearted of a politician, that I would sacrifice innocent children for my own political and personal gain. And if you have proof that I did so either show it now or be done with it.”

There was a long pause in the Federation Council, and for once, it was blessedly silent.

“We are entering into the records meetings between yourself and the criminal known as Rawyvin Seth on 2.140511, 2.140521 and 2.140608,” Brycey announced. The Tellerite looked at Xana and asked, “Do you deny it?”

Xana thought about it for a moment. All those meetings took place at her home; all of them had taken place between herself and Seth (except those with her children) and one with Myall Tai. She doubted Tai spoke to the Council. Seth was an outlaw, so it wasn’t like he was going running to the Federation Council…

Her instinct was to explain herself, to explain what the truth was. Except the truth was damning and she hadn’t done herself any favors. In hindsight, she should have reported the first meeting to the authorities, that would have quashed everything else. But she wasn’t smarter than everyone else which led to the second meeting, when Seth rescued her children from an almost kidnapping attempt. And that led to the third meeting with Tai, where Xana felt that if Rawyvin Seth still had a glimmer of Humanity left in him, no matter of who set him on his path to destroy her (and Xana was fairly certain she knew who that was), then Humanity should still try to redeem him; and for some reason she felt it should be her.

Of course she hadn’t shared that plan with anyone. It wasn’t an official plan, people’s heads would have exploded. She thought herself smarter than everyone else, so now she was stuck in this quandary before the Federation Council.

So instead of going with the policy of “honesty is the best policy” Xana opted for the politician answer: “Spin, Spin, and Win”.

Raising an eyebrow Xana asked, “I respectfully ask for a verification of the meetings before they’re entered into the record.” Looking over at the Federation Council Sergeant At Arms she asked, “Isn’t that my right as the one sitting here before the Federation Council? If I’m to be interrogated, especially about something so egregious as illicit meetings between myself - who was at the time one of the highest ranking members of the Federation government and a known outlaw - don’t I have the right to have this evidence verified?”

Federation Council Sergeant At Arms, a Vulcan man by the name of Delvok, pursed his lips slightly. “You are conflating the rules. This is not evidence, per se, as it is not a trial. However, all those who appear before the Federation Council do have the right to have information presented honestly and know the source of the information. Is that what you were referring to, Secretary Bonviva?”

Xana nodded at that; she knew she had to appear at least amenable to one of the triumvirate on the dais. “Absolutely, thank you for that clarification.” Turning to Brycey she asked, “The source of the *information* then, is whom?”

Brycey glared at Xana. “That’s classified.”

Xana looked over at Delvok, “Is that allowed?”

“No,” Delvok replied, “it is not; not in public hearings such as this one.”

Leaning forward Xana nodded to Brycey, “I am officially requesting that the source of this *information* who is maligning me be called before the Federation Council for this hearing. Otherwise, I am requesting that this entire matter be dropped.”

Brycey shook his head. “There are other...matters being discussed here in the city that maybe taking up other people’s times.”

The azure woman sat back and looked at the PADD on her table. At this point the council members began to debate what was more important - a possible Security breach by the former Secretary of Starfleet or the CENTURY fiasco. Xana was able to use the time to type out a quick message:

TO: MC MARTINE
FROM: X. BONVIVA
SUBJECT: WITNESS/PROCEEDINGS
PRIORITY: URGENT/SECURE

Can you spare one of your co-inquisitors? Not Halle.

BTW - mind if I tell the FC about the inquiry into the Intel Star investigation?

Mille grazie,
XB

=/\=

SCENE: Board’s Chambers

Bashen’s testimony, although it had just started, seemed to be going on a much more emotionally even pace than Crichton’s had. Then again, Marie-Claire Martine had to practically read the riot act to her fellow Board members in an effort to place things in the proper perspective. She allowed herself a moment of contentment while she was listening to the FCO’s recounting of events.

She looked across at Lieutenant JG Bashen, then saw the notification of an incoming message on her PADD. And it was marked urgent. She scrolled down quickly. Xana Bonviva had called voluntarily for a hearing shortly after she resigned. Martine still wasn’t sure what purpose the Bolian/Human woman was trying to serve, but the message shed a little more light on the subject.

Admiral Halle was about to ask another question, but Martine stood and motioned to the assemblage. “Pardon my interruption, but I must call an emergency recess to these proceedings.”

“Why?” Arto Halle asked.

“Admiral Richard Edgerton has been requested to be present at the Xana Bonviva hearing taking place at this moment in Council chambers. His insight is highly important, integral really, in order to provide the proper closure to Ms. Bonviva’s term as Secretary of Starfleet.” MC hoped that sounded interesting enough to get the Chief of Staff to take the bait.

As if there was any doubt. Edgerton stood, clutching his uniform jacket and grinning like a cheshire cat in Alice’s mirror. He puffed his chest like a prized peacock. *This shouldn’t take long,* he thought, offering a slight bow to Halle and Martine. “I will return at my earliest opportunity.”

The Canadienne tried not to gloat too obviously as she hastily responded to the communiqué.

TO: X BONVIVA

FROM: MC MARTINE

SUBJECT: RE: WITNESS/PROCEEDINGS

PRIORITY: URGENT/SECURE


He’s on his way. The answer to your second question is affirmative.

Votre sincèrement,

MCM


=/\=


Scene: Federation Council Chamber, San Francisco, EARTH


The Council had been abuzz when Richard Edgerton made his grand entrance. **Excellent,** he thought to himself. **About time I show them who should be running things.** Straightening his shoulders he walked with firm purpose into the room.


In the meantime, Xana Bonviva sat where she was at her table, never bothering to remove her eyes from her PADD she was reading. She didn’t acknowledge the aide who added another chair to the table where she was. She didn’t acknowledge Edgerton when he dragged the chair back with a screech and settled in next to her. She listened distantly as he was sworn in and as Brycey got Edgerton up to speed.


Xana hadn’t squandered a second in preparing herself for the arrival of her accuser. It was high time the man be given a taste of his own medicine. She had met with Rawyvin Seth; that was true. But the motives of those meetings and their instigation in the first place had not been her doing. Edgerton knew that her suspicions would be impossible to use against him. But she had a truth of her own to share that was equally damning and irrefutable. Instead she was using her time pulling up her own records and using the time prepping the records for submission to the Council.


Turning around in her chair to face Edgerton so that she was at a 45 degree angle facing him, Xana turned over her PADD and folded her hands. “Admiral, do you recall the events of June 16th?”


Edgerton grinned disarmingly. “I beg the Council’s pardon, but I do not recollect the specifics of any given day over two months ago. Nor do I understand how this is relevant to a member of Starfleet consorting with a man so nefarious as Rawyvin Seth.”


“Let me refresh your memory. On June 16th at approximately nineteen hundred forty hours we had an unplanned meeting in my then office. Do you recall what we discussed?”


“We had many discussions over many days as we worked closely together,” Richard Edgerton tried to sound composed in his thought process, but only remembered the insult that brought him banging down her door in the first place. John Hiram had called him a coward, but he had been as certain then as he was now it was a slight borne of Xana’s machinations.


“We had a difference of opinion- a rather strong one- regarding the utilization of resources and the state of our militia.”


Edgerton didn’t like this… not one little bit. “And how did that turn out?” he asked with condescension.


“We both made valid points,” Xana said as she tilted her head towards him but her voice dripped with supercilious undertone, “but respectfully agreed to disagree. But that was not the only thing we discussed. The other was your award of the Intel Star.”


The Englishman’s mouth drew into a thin, grim, soulless line as he tried to maintain an air of disinterest.


When there was no response Xana raised her chin and waved her hand as she asked, “Nothing?” When Edgerton said nothing she continued on, “Well, I reported to you a clerical error that resulted in your receipt of the Intel Star, a decoration I still see you are wearing,” Xana prompted. “While it is true you served on the USS VALHALLA, your missions and scope of interest there did not qualify you for that particular honor. Further investigations of your then Commanding Officer’s logs also then did not report you receiving the honor. Additionally, SFI did not report you receiving the Intel Star under any missions. In short, there is no record anywhere, either under the USS VALHALLA - or actually anywhere - of you really receiving the highest Intel award that Starfleet has to offer.


“Regardless, my findings are on file with Starfleet Command, although there are many other more high profile concerns at the moment. Which is why I had not revisited the issue with you since,” she explained coolly. “However, I have reassurances from the current Secretary, Secretary Martine, that this issue will be revisited.”


Sitting back in her chair, the azure woman turned to the Federation Council. “That meeting took place 3 days before my children were kidnapped.”


Federation Council President Brycey glared at Bonviva. “And we’re just to take your word for this?”


“I don’t expect you to,” she admitted. Flipping over her PADD she tapped it twice, “I’m submitting to the Council a copy of all public meetings that took place on my calendar as well as private meetings as scheduled by my office. Additionally the date of my children’s kidnappings has already been confirmed by this body and by Starfleet. You can easily confirm that Admiral Edgerton and I met on the date in question, which was 3 days before my children’s kidnappings. You can confirm that on that date I filed my findings regarding the falsification of Admiral Edgerton’s credentials.”


Edgerton could hear the murmurings, could sense the mood changing in the chamber. “How do you explain you pulling Rawyvin Seth’s records?” he asked.


Brycey looked at Bonviva. “Did you do that?”


“Yes,” Xana shrugged. “The day we limit information is the day we go from being a free society to being a totalitarian state. The information regarding Rawyvin Seth is available.”


“His *classified* records?” Edgerton snarled. “You pulled them on June 17.”


Xana gave Richard Edgerton a half glare. “Interesting how you remember that date,” she mused. Turning back to the Federation Council she explained, “I was involved in an investigation approximately 2 years ago into Rawyvin Seth; he was tried and convicted in absentia. From time to time, if there are leads that are deemed...credible I asked to be made aware of them so I could personally see to it. I asked for his records to review them vis-a-vis the trends.”


Looking over to Brycey she asked, “I’m sorry but is reading now a crime?” As the Tellerite Federation Council President sighed, Xana dropped her voice and raised her right hand over her heart, “My apologies to the Council, I know you have many more important things to do. It was my job to groom Admiral Edgerton and I tried to do that, and clearly somewhere along the way he seems to have lost his way. I fear you have been all caught up in some misguided, vengeful powerplay by a subordinate who was upset by a routine investigation. On behalf of Admiral Edgerton, who seems to have been thrust into a role too big for him, and myself, you have everyone at Starfleet’s sincerest apologies for wasting your time.”


Before the Federation Council could respond, Edgerton muttered something foul under his breath and said aloud, “If there’s nothing here for me, I’ll go back to doing real work.”


“Oh you keep thinking that,” Xana whistled under her breath.


The Tellerite Federation Council President watched the Starfleet Chief of Staff walk away and called out, “The Federation Council is not done with Admiral Edgerton!”


A stunned hush fell over the chamber as all eyes swiveled between the Tellerite Federation Council President who stood proudly on the dais and the Starfleet Admiral who was *this* close to going out the door. Instead Richard Edgerton turned around but did not walk back. Lifting his head up he stared down the Federation Council President.


“Sergeant at Arms,” Brycey announced to Delvok, “we need to remove the Intel Star from Admiral Edgerton pending investigation.”


As the Vulcan Sergeant at Arms began to move off the dais, Admiral Edgerton marched down the Federation Council, ripped the Intel Star off his chest, and slapped it down on the table next to Bonviva. “Hope you’re happy,” he snarled to all of them.


Turning on his heel he marched out before anyone could say anything else into the glare of the media asking for a comment.


=/\=


SCENE: Board’s Antechambers


While more time had passed than Edgerton had anticipated, it most certainly was not idle time in the world of the new Secretary of Starfleet.


Arto Halle looked up from the PADD as if he had been hit in the gut. “This certainly puts things in a different light. But why is it coming to the forefront now?”


“Xana Bonviva willing went before the Council to clear the accusations made against her regarding the well-being and safety of her children and the validity of her career. It is merely her intent to show the burden of proof is on Edgerton and not her. She brought this matter to his attention back in June. Other events sidelined its importance. But you cannot deny he still wears the emblem. Even with undeniable proof that he did not earn it.”


Admiral Halle still looked stunned.


“His tirade with and treatment of Jacob Crichton was not an isolated incident. Power can sometimes do strange things to a man. But he cannot continue to be allowed to act in this manner without some sort of consequence.”


“It appears he is hoisted by his own petard.”


Martine nodded convincingly. “But we don’t have to be drug down into the depths with him. Two *is* a majority. And I would never speak for you, Arto, but I certainly don’t want to see the crew of the DISCOVERY to suffer at the opinions of such a clearly misguided man.”


“We must remain impartial above all else,” Arto reluctantly agreed.


With all the importance of a tempest in a teacup, Edgerton entered the back of the room in a huff. He was sweating profusely and his usually neatly arranged hair had partially fallen over his forehead. He straightened his tunic for what seemed like the hundredth time and stated the obvious. “I have returned.”


Admiral Halle stood, joining Marie-Claire. “I can see that, Admiral. I trust we can continue the proceedings uninterrupted by both the Federation Council and any of your personal opinions?”


Edgerton shot a look at Arto Halle and his unusually crisp tone. It was like he’d finally decided to grow a pair. However, now was not the most opportune time. “I am nothing if not agreeable,” he responded, sounding anything but. He pushed his hair back into place.


Martine handed Edgerton a glass of chilled water. “You look overheated. Perhaps this will help.”


While he would have liked nothing more than to have thrown it into her face, he instead drained it dry with a hand trembling with rage, setting it on the table nearby. It was a pity there wasn’t something stronger in it. “Thank you,” he choked out sarcastically.


“Let me fix your jacket for you,” MC said undomestically, smoothing out the material, her hands inappropriately on his chest. Her touch stopped where the Intel Star had been. “Oh, it looks like it’s already been taken care of.” She abruptly withdrew and gestured to Halle. “Let’s continue, we have *officers* waiting.”

=/\=
NRPG: (Susan) It feels like Christmas morning and I just got to put a big lump of coal in our favorite megalomaniac’s stocking! Woot!

A Joint Post by

Sarah Albertini-Bond
as
Xana Bonviva

Susan Ledbetter
as
Marie-Claire Martine
Secretary of Starfleet